Gawkers told to stay away from blast site
Kitchener deputy fire chief asking unwanted visitors to ‘give these people some space’
KITCHENER — Gawkers and curious onlookers are being asked to stay away from the site of the Sprucedale Crescent home explosion out of respect of the residents of the area.
“A scene of this magnitude draws curiosity,” Deputy Fire Chief Rob Martin told the Record Friday afternoon.
Earlier that morning he sent out a tweet asking people to refrain from “touring” the area.
“We’re requesting people dig down, find their small-town roots and give these people some space,” he said.
Martin said some residents have complained about damaged property, including trampled grass and gardens, and some have had insults hurled at them by onlookers.
He’s concerned the number of unwanted visitors will grow over the weekend.
Joan Deville, a longtime Sprucedale resident, set up a makeshift barrier at the end of her driveway to prevent people from parking at her home.
“One fellow come in with a trailer and he came right up in our driveway and he was half out in the street,” she said Friday.
Isobel Reddington, whose house is still blocked off by emergency services, says she can only access it by walking.
She uses a walker and tries to park as close to her house as possible, but that was a challenge Friday after she returned home from picking up her medication.
“Cars were parked all along the street,” she said, adding that a neighbour offered her the use of their driveway.
“All we want to do is get back into our homes and just get back to normal,” Reddington said.
To help alleviate the parking problems and limit access to the area, bylaw enforcement announced they would create onstreet permits for residents to park on nearby Blackwell Drive.
“Those who park on the street without a permit will be ticketed,” said Victoria Rabb, spokesperson with the City of Kitchener.
A bylaw officer will also be on-site for the next few days, sidewalk signage has been put in place to ensure residents of Sprucedale are the only pedestrians in the area, and additional “Emergency — No Parking” signs have also been put in place.
Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday morning the house at 56 Sprucedale Cres. exploded. Edresilda Haan, 58 was found dead in the backyard of the home and her husband, 58-year-old Udo Haan, was pulled from the scene by neighbours and airlifted to a Hamilton hospital in critical condition.
Police announced Thursday they are investigating the death as a homicide and do not have any suspects.
Martin said the police are now the lead investigators on the site and the fire department is assisting the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office in dismantling the scene. The deputy chief expects firefighters will be on the scene until the end of the weekend collecting evidence into the cause of the explosion.